Turkey Refuses To Refuel El Al Flight During Emergency Landings

By FrumNews.com 

El Al flight LY5102, en route from Warsaw to Tel Aviv, was forced to make an emergency landing in Antalya, Turkey, due to a medical emergency involving a passenger who required immediate medical care. 

The decision to land was made after consultation with a doctor onboard, who deemed it critical for the passenger’s health. 

Turkish officials refused to refuel the El Al flight on the ground, but the diversion meant that the flight couldn’t safely return to Tel Aviv. Passengers were told they were expected to remain on the ground in Turkey for several hours and were not authorized to leave the plane.

El Al confirmed the incident in a statement, “Local workers refused to refuel the company’s plane even though it was a medical case.” It added that the passenger was evacuated. 

Due to the 3-hour “delay” in refueling the aircraft, the pilots decided to take off to Rhodes in Greece—an Israeli aly—where “it will refuel before taking off to Israel,” the airline said.

Israeli media reports said the Turkish authorities had assured the Israeli Foreign Ministry that the plane would be allowed to refuel, but in practice, it did not happen.

In May, Turkey announced an all-out ban on all trade with Eretz Yisroel. President Erdogan also said last month that over 1,000 Hamas members were being treated in Turkish hospitals, though a Turkish official later claimed he meant Gazan civilians rather than Hamas terrorists.

Emergency Landings happen regularly, especially in Turkey. But this might be El-Al’s last landing in Turkey for the foreseeable future.